Sustainability Programs
Sustainability PROGRAMS: Energy
Ka Honua Momona has a unique energy system that took many years to perfect. After experimenting with the microgrid model (specifically a nano-monitored smart micro-grid) from 2013 to 2019, Bruce Yamashita designed his own off-grid system that is best for KHM’s needs. It is called a smart supply management system. The key difference between a standard microgrid and our system is that we optimize efficiency by using a water heating system. KHM uses this system because of its economic, environmental, and reliability advantages. To show these advantages, comparisons can be made to the alternative source of power, MEC. KHM’s system is tremendously more reliable than MEC. KHM has no outages, compared to MEC that averages 50 outages per year. In addition to that , KHM’s system significantly reduces the use of fossil fuels on Molokai because it derives power from solar energy. The alternative of connecting to MEC would contribute to increased fossil fuel usage because of the oil required to produce electricity. Our system helps Molokai work toward a lower carbon footprint and increases sustainability.